1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a package for optical devices, and particularly to a module for operatively coupling one or more optical fibers with one or more optical devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various optical devices are known in the art and include such semiconductor devices as light emitting diodes (LEDs), laser diodes, and photodetectors. Optical semiconductors, e.g., optoelectronic devices, effect a conversion between optical signals and electronic signals.
Optical semiconductor components are sensitive to environmental conditions and are generally sealed in hermetic packages or in plastic molding to prevent degradation caused by atmospheric contaminants such as humidity, dust, and free ions. The optical input/output surfaces of the components operatively coupled in a package are especially susceptible to contamination, hence, the desirability of hermetically sealing the package to prevent contact with the outside atmosphere. Hermetic sealing typically involves mounting a cap to a substrate having an optical semiconductor component by means of soldering, welding, and the like.
One prior known optical device module includes a submount body having a groove buried with an insulator, an optical semiconductor component mounted on the submount body, a cap arranged across the groove and fixedly bonded to the submount body by a bonding member for hermetically sealing the module. An electrical wiring layer connected to the semiconductor device extends to the outside of the cap through a groove buried with an insulator.
Another type of prior known optical device package includes a first substrate having a groove thereon into which an optical fiber is fitted, and a second groove to fix the optical fiber by applying adhesive, the second groove being formed on a part of the first groove, a width and a depth of the second groove being wider and deeper than those of the first groove so that the optical fiber is not in contact with the second groove. A second substrate pushes the optical fiber against the first groove.
A problem with the aforementioned prior known devices is that the optical axis must be above the top surface of the optical bench, i.e., the chip or substrate onto which the optical fiber is mounted, because the active area of the optical semiconductor component (e.g., a laser, photodetector, or the like) is above the optical bench surface. Therefore, the lid must have a a V-groove to accommodate the optical fiber. This creates problems during sealing because the alignment of the optical fiber can be disturbed during the sealing step. Moreover, it is more difficult to create a low temperature seal (which may be required due to the sensitivity of the semiconductor device to high temperature) when the lid must seal around the fiber.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have an optical device package wherein the lid does not require V-grooves to accommodate the optical fiber.